Day: February 12, 2018

Categories
People

Very sad news. He was always amazing in everything. Rest In Peace, Reg E. Cathey.

Reg E. Cathey, House of Cards and The Wire actor, dead at 59

Reg E. Cathey, an Emmy-winning actor known for his work on Netflix’s House of Cards and HBO’s The Wire, has died at the age of 59.

The Wire creator David Simon announced his death in a tweet on Friday. He called Cathey a “fine, masterful actor” and “delightful human being.”

“On wit alone, he could double any man over and leave him thinking,” Simon wrote.

HBO confirmed the death in a statement but no other details were given.

“There is a reason we turned to him time and time again in movies, series and miniseries,” the HBO statement said. “He was uniquely talented and ever the gentleman.”

Cathey played barbecue rib shack owner Freddy Hayes on House of Cards and won an Emmy for the guest role in 2015. He also played Norman Wilson for two seasons of the crime drama The Wire, from 2006-2008.

Other credits included the film American Psycho and the acclaimed prison series Oz. Some of his most recent work involved a role in the movie adaptation of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, in which he played Zakariyya Lacks and Marvel’s Luke Cage, which was his final role.

The actor, who was born in Huntsville, Ala., was known for his baritone voice and working-class characters. Samuel L. Jackson and Luke Cage star Mike Colter were among those who posted tributes.

“Go gentle into that good night my brother,” wrote Colter. “It was an honour spending time with you on set.”

Categories
Sports

So it’s just a cliche?! That’s dissapointing!!

Why Do Olympians Bite Their Medals?

Watch the Olympics and you might notice a number of medalists gnawing on their gold or silver prize like an old-time prospector. Do they believe the International Olympic Committee is going to stiff them? Does anyone expect to bite into chocolate?

It turns out it might be because they’re following orders—specifically, the photographer’s. When Olympic winners pose for a victory image, a sea of photojournalists are snapping away and asking athletes to do something besides just stand there and smile. With no other props handy, winners have picked up the habit of nibbling on their medal to satisfy the photographic feeding frenzy.

If you’re wondering whether anyone has chipped a tooth doing this, the answer is: of course. In 2010, German luger David Moeller broke off the corner of his tooth chomping on his silver medal. (Good thing his mother is a dentist.)

Of course, biting on gold used to be a way to tell if it was genuine (the real thing will show slight bite marks). But most Olympians probably know by now that their gold medal is mostly made up of silver and copper. If they were actually solid gold, the prizes would cost the IOC about $17 million.

Categories
Movies

I was hoping to see Clint Eastwood’s 15:17 To Paris but my Brother was visiting. Maybe next week.

Fifty Shades Freed whips Peter Rabbit, 15:17 to Paris at the box office

Fifty Shades Freed is flogging its box office competition.

The final installment of Universal’s erotic trilogy based on the books of E.L. James is on track to debut with about $38.8 million from 3,768 theaters in the U.S. and Canada this weekend, outpacing fellow newcomers Peter Rabbit and 15:17 to Paris while unseating Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.

Freed’s bow will come in below those of its predecessors: Fifty Shades Darker opened to $46.6 million last year, and Fifty Shades of Grey opened to a whopping $85.2 million in 2015. But the series is an undeniable box office success. The trilogy reportedly cost a combined $150 million to produce, and on it Friday crossed the $1 billion mark worldwide. (Through Sunday, Freed is poised to take in about $98.1 million overseas, for a global total of $136.9 million.)

Directed by James Foley and once again starring Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan, Fifty Shades Freed continues the story of budding book editor Anastasia Steele, kinky billionaire Christian Grey, and their tumultuous romance. The film received largely negative reviews from critics but a so-so B-plus CinemaScore from moviegoers.

Hopping to second place and coming in ahead of analysts’ projections is Sony’s hybrid live-action and animated family comedy Peter Rabbit, with an estimated $25 million from 3,725 locations.

Based on Beatrix Potter’s children’s stories about a mischievous bunny, Peter Rabbit stars James Corden in the title role, along with Domhnall Gleeson, Rose Byrne, and Daisy Ridley. Will Gluck directed the movie, which has garnered mixed reviews but a respectable A-minus CinemaScore.

The weekend’s third new release, Warner Bros’. thriller The 15:17 to Paris, will pull into the station with an estimated $12.6 million from 3,042 theaters — in line with analysts’ modest expectations and good for the No. 3 spot.

Based on the true story of three Americans — Spencer Stone, Anthony Sadler and Alek Skarlatos — who helped thwart a terrorist attack on a Paris-bound train, the film comes as the third installment of director Clint Eastwood’s unofficial trilogy about modern-day heroism, following Sully and American Sniper. The film notably stars non-actors Stone, Sadler, and Skarlatos as themselves.

Reviews for 15:17 have been poor, and moviegoers gave it a B-minus CinemaScore.

Filling out the top five are two holdovers that have demonstrated impressive staying power: Sony’s Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (last week’s No. 1 movie), with about $9.8 million, and Fox’s The Greatest Showman, with about $6.4 million. Those figures bring their respective domestic totals to $365.7 million and $146.5 million.

According to ComScore, overall box office is down 1.8 percent year-to-date. Check out the Feb. 9-11 figures below.

1. Fifty Shades Freed — $38.8 million
2. Peter Rabbit — $25 million
3. The 15:17 to Paris — $12.6 million
4. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle — $9.8 million
5. The Greatest Showman — $6.4 million
6. Maze Runner: The Death Cure — $6 million
7. Winchester — $5.1 million
8. The Post — $3.5 million
9. The Shape of Water — $3 million
10. Den of Thieves — $2.9 million